Transparency - Building trust and credibility

This entry was posted on February 9, 2018 by upasana.

After all the extensively destructive effects of the fashion industry on the environment and humankind, we are proceeding towards ways which can be more ethical to the environment and humans. People have started observing and have become aware of the ethical values coded with the brands. Consumers being more conscious about their choices make sure what kind of brands are they supporting while buying their products. In addition, from the company’s point of view, maintaining a certain amount of transparency with their consumers is necessary to gain trust and build good producer-consumer relationships. But it’s not always easy to exercise transparency with consumers. One should be aware of the activities and processes followed inside the organisation. Disclosure of internal practices to the clients is the second level of transparency.

Upasana, an Auroville unit tries to exercise transparency and be true to its consumers even knowing that it is still going through the process to achieve maximum sustainability in its business. Uma, the founder of Upasana shares her views about transparency in processes internally and towards the consumers and how Upasana had evolved from being tagged as an NGO to a design label.

Transparency in Business Ethics

1. What is transparency in business?

Uma - Transparency in business allows people to know about business activities and processes which builds trust and credibility. It is equally important in all the sectors be it government, corporate, service or educational. Transparency in fashion is vital because it involves many hidden unfair activities. In Upasana, we always knew who made our clothes, how are the activities carried out and where do we buy our raw materials from. It was easy for us to examine the processes for one reason that we are a small company. In a bigger organisation, keeping first-hand information gets complicated. But is internal transparency enough for us to prove that we are trying to be ethical in our ways?

2. How did Upasana make a shift from its identity as a NGO to a brand and then making a move towards being a conscious fashion hub?

Uma - Upasana has always been a design company. It was made into an NGO in people’s mind due to our deep interest in social sector and our service to grass root community. We had to fight it out and reimage the identity. We have used our design and creativity to serve but I would surely not prefer wearing the crown of an NGO. I had to remould our communication to position Upasana as a design company. We see design as a creative space to bring change. Crisis and breakdowns are not frightening but empowering.

4. How does Upasana manage to track the activities happening in its supply chain and practice transparency?

Uma - As I discussed earlier, it is easier for a small company to exercise information. Big companies require more political efforts and administration processes to collect their precise data. It is possible to keep a check at all levels but small scale provides you the privilege to look into everything directly. This made it easier for Upasana. This has added to Upasana’s key strengths that we are able to keep a track on all the internal operations and implement improvisations wherever necessary.

Fashion has power, the power to change lives. The lives of farmers, spinners, weavers, printers, tailors, designers and many more who have invisibly woven their souls into what we wear. Upasana honours them all, consciously, at every stage of crafting our products. Shifting fashion to touch the soul instead of just the body, we believe life is interconnected. Beauty is beyond vanity. The process of creation is as precious to us as giving you a beautiful product. We honour flaws in weaving as part of honouring life, streak of shade in dye as part of natural shades. We silently celebrate the fading of natural dyes as we gracefully watch ourselves change through time. We design for mortality while honouring life, nature and inner growth.